NEW YORK — Jeter Downs’ profession with the New York Yankees may finish earlier than it began.
Downs was designated for task Friday, one month after the Yankees claimed the 25-year-old shortstop off waivers from the Washington Nationals. The Yankees wanted the roster spot after claiming infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers from the New York Mets.
Downs, the thirty second general choose by Cincinnati within the 2017 beginner draft, is called after former Yankees captain Derek Jeter.
The Yankees have seven days to commerce Downs or place him on waivers.
New York additionally finalized a one-year contract with right-hander Luke Weaver, who was claimed by the Yankees off waivers from Seattle on Sept. 12, made three begins and have become a free agent. Weaver, 30, was the twenty seventh general choose within the 2014 beginner draft and is 27-42 with a 5.14 ERA in eight main league seasons with St. Louis (2016-18), Arizona (2019-22), Kansas Metropolis (2022), Cincinnati (2023), Seattle (2023) and Yankees (2023),
Outfielder Bubba Thompson was designated for task to open a roster spot for Weaver.
Downs was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Boston Crimson Sox as a part of a package deal for Mookie Betts in 2020. He made his large league debut with Boston in 2022 and hit .154 (6 for 39) with one homer and 4 RBI. He was claimed by the Nationals off waivers final Dec. 22 and was 2 for five this yr with one RBI and two stolen bases. He hit .236 with three homers, 18 RBI and 11 steals this yr for Triple-A Rochester.
Earlier than his large league debut on June 22, 2022, Downs acquired a pregame congratulatory tweet from Jeter. The pair had met a number of years earlier.
“Congratulations and good luck… until you might be enjoying the Yankees,” Jeter wrote.
Castillo was designated for task by Arizona on Dec. 22 to open a roster spot for outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., was claimed by the Mets off waivers from Arizona on Jan. 5, then was designated for task per week later when the Mets wanted a roster spot for left-hander Sean Manaea.
The 26-year-old appeared in a single large league sport final yr, flying out as a pinch hitter on July 31. He hit .313 with 33 doubles, three homers, 72 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 124 video games at Triple-A Reno.
Castillo made his main league debut with Pittsburgh in 2022, when he batted .206 with 11 homers and 19 RBI in 96 video games. He was traded to Arizona in December 2022.